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Single Idea 23802

[filed under theme 18. Thought / C. Content / 9. Conceptual Role Semantics ]

Full Idea

Conceptual role semantics says the content of a representation is determined by the cognitive role it plays with a system.

Gist of Idea

Conceptual role semantics says content is determined by cognitive role

Source

Peter Schulte (Mental Content [2023], 4.5)

Book Ref

Schulte,Peter: 'Mental Content' [CUP 2023], p.41


A Reaction

Obvious problem: if 'swordfish' is the password, its role is quite different from its content. I've never thought that the role of something tells you anything about what it is. Hearts pump blood, but how do they fulfil that role?


The 12 ideas from Peter Schulte

Naturalist accounts of representation must match the views of cognitive science [Schulte]
Phenomenal and representational character may have links, or even be united [Schulte]
On the whole, referential content is seen as broad, and sense content as narrow [Schulte]
Naturalists must explain both representation, and what is represented [Schulte]
Naturalistic accounts of content cannot rely on primitive mental or normative notions [Schulte]
Cause won't explain content, because one cause can produce several contents [Schulte]
Information theories say content is information, such as smoke making fire probable [Schulte]
Teleosemantics explains content in terms of successful and unsuccessful functioning [Schulte]
Teleosemantic explanations say content is the causal result of naturally selected functions [Schulte]
Conceptual role semantics says content is determined by cognitive role [Schulte]
Maybe we can explain mental content in terms of phenomenal properties [Schulte]
Some explanations offer to explain a mystery by a greater mystery [Schulte]